1. Why do you think Samuel waited until now to speak?

2. What had obviously been the spiritual state of Israel up until now?

3. What indication was there that Samuel had got his timing right?

C. Comment :

For at least twenty years there appears to have been no sign of spiritual life in Israel, with the nation obviously far from God giving no thought to the ark at Kiriath Jearim, but instead worshipping idols. Eventually however, arising within the people, there is a gradual realisation of the true state of affairs. Note that it is only then that Samuel speaks up. He challenges the people to get rid of their idols and serve the Lord whole heartedly. It is a sign that his timing is right that they respond to him and do this.

Following up this apparent turning to the Lord, Samuel calls them to a holy convocation, a meeting with God. Again it is an indication of right timing that the people fully respond to him. They pour out water as a sign of pouring out their hearts in repentance, needing to be washed clean from their sins, unconsciously perhaps acknowledging their need of the Holy Spirit to be poured out on a spiritually dry land. They fasted in sincerity and confessed their sin openly. This is truly a sign of a people wanting to meet with their God.

D. Application?

1. Sometimes when there is lack of spiritual life the best thing to do is pray

that the Lord will turn the heart(s) and simply wait.

2. Seeking the Lord with true repentance is a sign that hearts are changing.

Fasting is a sign of real earnestness before the Lord.

Chapter: 1 Sam 7

Passage: 1 Sam 7:7-17

A. Find Out:

1. What did Israel feel about the attack? v.7

2. What did they ask Samuel to do? v.8

3. What 2 things did he do? v.9

4. How did the Lord respond? v.10

5. How long did the Lord oppose the enemy? v.13

6. As what did Samuel continue to act? v.15-17

B. Think :

1. What were the steps of the defeat of the Philistines?

2. How was peace brought about for years to come?

3. How did Samuel exercise is "judgeship"?

C. Comment :

Having met together to seek the Lord, Israel found what so many have found in similar situations, that when you do seek the Lord earnestly that enrages the enemy and, to put you off, he stirs his agents up against you. That should simply drive us more on the Lord and that happened here with Israel.

Israel pleads with Samuel to intercede with the Lord on their behalf and so that is what he does. Samuel is first and foremost a praying man! Then the Lord moves and as the Philistines approach, massive thunder breaks out over them and throws them into panic. Israel then takes advantage of this and moves in to deal with them. In this we see the partnership of God with man. God prepares the way and then man moves in faith.

From this point on, Israel are in the ascendancy and prevail over the Philistines. Peace rules. Samuel, who is the last of the judges, ruled over Israel, making decisions that brought peace in their lives. That ultimately was the role of a judge, a bringer of wisdom that in turn brought peace. To achieve this, Samuel was also an intercessor, and in that we have a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ who came to bring us peace and interceded on our behalf with his very life.

D. Application?

1. When opposition turns up, the answer is to turn to the Lord and He will

deliver.

2. Jesus HAS brought me His peace.

Chapter: 1 Sam 8

Passage: 1 Sam 8:1-9

A. Find Out:

1. Why did Samuel appoint his sons as judges? v.1

2. What did they do? v.3

3. What did this prompt the elders to do? v.4,5

4. What did Samuel do? v.6

5. What did the Lord say Israel were doing? v.7,8

6. What did He tell Samuel to do? v.9

B. Think :

1. What lesson has Samuel sadly not learnt from Eli?

2. How does this reveal the hearts of Israel ?

3. What does this teach us about the reasons people sometimes put

forward for their behaviour?

C. Comment :

Many years have passed with Samuel as judge. He has done a good job judging the people but that is all. It is obvious that the spiritual state of Israel has not improved much under his leadership. As he moves into old age, Samuel sadly "keeps the job in the family" and unwisely appoints his sons to carry on. Unfortunately he obviously doesn't know his sons very well or chooses to ignore what he does know. They are not up to the job and soon abuse their positions.

Here we should be careful to note that it doesn't cause the people to turn away from God but it simply exposes their hearts, as they come to Samuel to demand a king to replace these unworthy judges. Such situations rarely change a person's heart but simply show what is in it. The Lord reveals the truth to Samuel when Samuel prays (please note the order) but does not refuse them their request, even though it is second best. Having the Lord as their king was best but the Lord knows how their hearts are set and allows them to follow this path, to reveal more of His grace and more of the foolishness of man's sin. Meditate on this terrible truth - God allows us to continue in our paths of folly!

D. Application?

1. Spiritual jobs should be done by spiritual people chosen by God.

2. The heart is set and situations simply reveal the condition of it.

Chapter: 1 Sam 8

Passage: 1 Sam 8:9-22

A. Find Out:

1. What did God say Samuel should do? v.9

2. How often does "he will take" occur? v.11-17

3. What will Israel then do? v.18

4. But what was the people's response? v.19

5. Who did they want to be like? v.20

6. What did the Lord then tell Samuel? v.22

B. Think :

1. What sort of a life are Israel being warned about under a king?

2. What is at the heart of Israel 's desire?

3. What warning is in this passage about God's response when we are going

our way?

C. Comment :

First note the Lord's SOLEMN WARNING. He wants the people to be quite clear about the consequences of their actions. If they want a king like other countries they must realise he'll do the same worldly things - he'll take! He'll form an army and take their sons; he'll want a royal retinue, so he'll take their daughters; he'll want provision for his court, so he'll take their food. When all that happens they'll realise how well off they were previously and cry out for relief - too late!

Second note, Israel 's WILFUL RESISTANCE. Despite this wise warning, they persist in demanding to be like other people. God is not enough for them! This is both unbelief and rebellion.

Finally, note GOD'S AGREEMENT. This is clearly not the best for Israel, but it is what they want so God gives it to them, perhaps more by way of discipline for their foolishness than anything else. Never be foolish enough to say, "God will stop me if I make a wrong decision". God gives us the privilege of self-will and so if we determine, against God's counsel through word and Spirit, to go our own way, He will let us. It may be painful but we have to learn the hard way sometimes!

D. Application?

1. Most people DO know God's will, they just choose to ignore it.

2. God's love includes His discipline. (Hebrews 12:6)

Chapter: 1 Sam 9

Passage: 1 Sam 9:1-14

A. Find Out:

1. How is Saul described? v.2

2. What promoted the trip away from home? v.3

3. What point did Saul come to? v.5

4. What suggestion did his servant make? v.6

5. When had Samuel arrived? v.12

6. When did they met him? v.14

B. Think :

1. What chain of events brought the meeting between Saul and Samuel?

2. Why might Saul be a likely candidate to satisfy the people's desire?

3. What do we learn of Samuel's position in Israel from this passage?

C. Comment :

Enter Saul stage left! From being an unknown individual he steps into the arena of national leadership, completely unknowingly! As far as Saul is concerned his family has problems - the donkeys have gone astray, possibly someone has taken them, so he is sent looking for them, for they are valuable. Saul and his servant look and look and look, and he is just on the verge of giving up and returning home. It is then his servant comes up with a bright idea: let's go and ask the seer (for that is how they viewed Samuel).

Samuel obviously wasn't that well known and Saul obviously hasn't had anything to do with him so far. In what follows we have coincidence after coincidence that culminates in a meeting between Saul and Samuel. So far there has been nothing to indicate that the hand of God is behind all this, but then so many sorts of "coincidences" appear like that! We'll soon see that this is a divine appointment being set up. This tall young man is just the sort of man Israel is looking for as a king, so he's the one God will give them, not the best but just what Israel want. They'll learn!

D. Application?

1. God often moves through what we might call "coincidences".

2. God often gives us just what we want, either as blessing or bane (to

discipline us).

Chapter: 1 Sam 9

Passage: 1 Sam 9:15-24

A. Find Out:

1. What had the Lord told Samuel He would do? v.15,16a

2. What did He tell Samuel to do? v.16b

3. How did Samuel recognise Saul? v.17

4. How did Samuel first reassure Saul? v.20a

5. How did Samuel bring concern to Saul? v.20b

6. How had Samuel clearly prepared for Saul? v.22-24

B. Think :

1. What part does the Lord claim in this meeting?

2. How is Samuel shown to be a man with an open ear to the Lord and what

benefit comes from that?

3. What sort of man is Saul seen to be in this passage?

C. Comment :

First note that quite clearly this is a meeting brought about by God (v.16). God is responding to His people's cry even while they are rejecting Him. Note how he refers 3 times in v.16 to "my people", indicating that grace still prevails.

Second, note Samuel's ability to hear the Lord. There is no indication that God's words came in any way other than directly through Samuel's spirit. It was that ability that allowed him to be known as a "seer", one who received revelation from God. It is that ability that enables him to bring a word of knowledge to Saul, that the donkeys had been found. It is that ability that enables him to declare, "you are the one all Israel is asking for".

Third, note Saul's response; he can't see how such a thing can possibly be. He only sees the negatives about himself, like so many of us do, but the Lord sees his potential, just as He sees ours!

Note finally that Samuel treats Saul as the person he is going to be, and with honour he prepares a banquet for him. If only we were able to do that with people, how different life would be!

D. Application?

1. Even though we are far from the Lord He still loves us. That's grace!

2. God sees as more as we will be than what we were. Can we do that with

other Christians?

Chapter: 1 Sam 9/10

Passage: 1 Sam 9:25-10:8

A. Find Out:

1. What did Samuel do to Saul? v.1

2. What reassuring thing did he say would happen? v.2

3. What provisions would be provided for Saul? v.3,4

4. What would happen to Saul? v.5,6

5. How did Samuel refer to these things? v.7

6. What did he say should next happen? v.8

B. Think :

How did the Lord provide for Saul

- reassurance? - physical provision? - spiritual provision?

C. Comment :

This is Saul's commissioning by the Lord.

First he is anointed with oil by Samuel. Kings and priests in the Old Testament were anointed as a sign of receiving the Holy Spirit and God's authority.

Second, Samuel brings Saul a number of prophecies for the immediate future, each to act as a sign to Saul that the Lord was with him. First he will receive reassurance about the situation at home, he need not worry. Next he will be provided with food to help him complete his journey, and finally he will receive the Holy Spirit who will come upon him and transform him.

Note in this latter instance, that the transforming enables him to do something spiritual that he wasn't able to do before, but it doesn't change his character. We need to realise this as we read on. Saul has God's enabling but he still has free will to choose how he will act. It is true of us also, that we also have God's Holy Spirit within us, if we are really Christians, but that doesn't take away the responsibility for our lives which is still ours. The wonder of this passage is the wonder of God's provision for this man who is to become the people's replacement for the Lord as the head of their nation. In every way the Lord is going to provide for him. That is grace!

D. Application?

1. The Lord provides the ability for our lives to be transformed but the

responsibility is ours.

2. God's grace comes to unworthy men and women.

Chapter: 1 Sam 10

Passage: 1 Sam 10:9-16

A. Find Out:

1. What did God do? v.9

2. What happened at Gibeah? v.10

3. Who wondered at what was happening? v.11

4. Who questioned Saul? v.14

5. What did Saul tell about? v.14,16a

6. What did he not speak about? v.16b

B. Think :

1. What part did God play in preparing Saul to be king?

2. Why do you think Saul was reticent about telling what Samuel had said?

3. What does this passage tell about the spiritual condition of the day?

C. Comment :

All is fulfilled as Samuel had said. The first thing that happened occurred just as Saul went to leave Samuel, "God changed Saul's heart". Apparently at that moment the Lord came to Saul and did something within him that changed him. Then when they encountered a band of prophets, the Spirit of God came on Saul and he found himself prophesying.

This passage is highly significant in the light of all that follows! What it says is that Saul has experienced something of the power and presence of God, he knows what it is like, he knows the POSSIBILITY of the divinely supernatural life with God, he has had a taste of that, so he knows! It is almost as if God has overruled his life so that he can know the POTENTIAL for the future IF he will be a king who follows after the Lord.

Having done this, God will not continue to force His presence on Saul. He has shown Saul a glimpse of what could be and now it is up to Saul to look to God for guidance, leading and blessing for the years to come. Sadly he didn't do that!

D. Application?

1. God in His love so often blesses us to encourage us to go on. Then it is up

to us to respond.

2. Human responsibility is a frightening thing. Will we respond to all God's

love to us?

Chapter: 1 Sam 10

Passage: 1 Sam 10:17-27

A. Find Out:

1. What did Samuel tell Israel to do? v.19

2. What was the process of choosing Saul? v.20,21

3. What did they do when Saul wasn't there? v.22

4. How did Samuel present Saul to the people? v.24

5. How did Samuel help the people? v.25

6. Who did God give Saul? v.26

B. Think :

1. What had Samuel first of all been careful to do?

2. What was it about Saul that appealed to the people?

3. How was the Lord actively seen to be helping here?

C. Comment :

What is remarkable about all this is that, despite Israel having rejected the Lord, He nevertheless continues to help them and actively seeks to promote and strengthen Saul. The Lord knows the people will be LOOKING for a king like other kings, and so He has chosen a big man, a man who Israel will take to straight away. Not only that, as soon as Saul has been chosen (presumably by lot - what a "coincidence"!!!) the Lord stirs the hearts of some "valiant men" to support him. The Lord has provided for Saul both physically and spiritually, then ensured Israel 's acceptance of him, then given good men to stand with him. The Lord has done everything He can to ensure Saul is a success. Now it is up to Saul.

But Saul still seems reticent, despite all the Lord's encouragement. It even needs the Lord to bring Saul out of his hiding place. This man, despite being selected by God, is the people's man, accepted on their criteria, their choice, BUT he has had all of God's encouragement. There will be no excuse when he fails. In some ways Saul is a picture of Christians who have received every blessing in Christ from God to do the job of living for Him in today's world. There is little room for excuses, God has done His bit, the rest is up to us!

D. Application?

1. We are provided for in every way.

2. We are responsible for how we now live.

RECAP - "We want a King!" - 1 Sam 7-10

SUMMARY :

In these next 9 studies we have seen:

- Samuel acting as God's leader for the nation

- Israel rejecting Samuel and demanding a king

- Samuel explaining the implications of that

- The encounter of Saul with Samuel

- Samuel anointing & instructing Saul

- The Lord blessing Saul & Saul being made king.

COMMENT :

When the people call for the Lord, Samuel leads them in repentance and then leads them in years of triumph over their closest enemies. Eventually comes a time when Israel use the excuse of Samuel's age and his unrighteous sons, to ask for a king. Herein is failure in both Samuel and Israel. Then comes the wonderful example of the provision of God in the form of a man to meet Israel's needs, a man who He blesses in great abundance. God does everything He can to encourage Saul. That is grace! Reflect back on these chapters for they reveal so amazingly the wonder of God's grace when dealing with a foolish people. They also bring strong warnings against being foolish!

LESSONS :

1. Men of God have to wait for the heart of the people.

2. Opposition should make us turn to the Lord.

3. Spiritual leadership is NOT inherited.

4. God provides for us even in our foolishness.

5. God works in the background, often unseen.

6. Human responsibility has to follow God's blessing.

PRAY :

Ask the Lord to keep your heart from foolish wanderings, to keep you focused on Him.

PART 4 : Saul on the Move - and Rejected!"

Perhaps a sub-heading for this next Part might be "The Ups and Downs of Saul". The man who apparently has everything and who carries the people with him to victory soon shows himself to be foolish and disobedient. The lesson is clear: not just any man can serve as leader, even with God's blessing!